Assisted view axis for vehicle sign

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to portable signs used to display a signal or message. In embodiments, the invention includes a sign, a stator, and a rotor. The sign has a display surface for displaying information and is mounted to a vehicle. The stator has a central axis, and the rotor may be coupled to the sign and rotatably coupled to the stator. The rotor may be configured to rotate about the central axis so that rotation of the rotor with respect to the stator may align the display surface in a selected orientation.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/014,180 entitled Assisted view axis, filed on Apr. 23, 2020 by Jim Steven Flores. The entire content of this provisional patent application is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to portable signs used to display a signal or message. Such signs are frequently used in traffic control operations.

BACKGROUND ART

Use of portable electronic message boards, flashing arrow boards, or signs is common, particularly to alert drivers of temporary changes in driving conditions such as closed lanes or road construction projects. Such signs may be mounted to vehicles, such as trucks, automobiles, and trailers. The signs maybe foldable to reduce hazards in transport, but generally may be oriented in only one direction relative to the normal direction of travel of the vehicle.

As a result, most signs are oriented toward a viewer by aligning the vehicle in a selected direction. This may be problematic when space for the vehicle is limited. In some situations, a vehicle must be parked in a location that does not provide optimal viewing of the sign. For example, a rearward-facing sign on a vehicle parked parallel to a road may be obstructed by other vehicles parked behind. There is thus a need to provide a vehicle mounted sign that may be oriented toward viewers irrespective of the orientation of the vehicle to which the sign is mounted.

In some situations a message may need to be presented to traffic approaching from more than one direction. For example, at an intersection where a north-south road crosses an east-west road, the message on a sign may need to be visible to traffic from both north and east. A vehicle bearing a sign may be aligned at, for example, a 45-degree angle to oncoming traffic from both north and east, but this requires the vehicle to intrude into traffic lanes. Since many traffic messages are needed because of obstructed roads or lanes, orienting a vehicle at such an angle may make the traffic situation worse. There is thus a need to orient a sign on a vehicle without further obstructing traffic.

A sign robust enough to give years of useful service in all weather conditions and able to be used and transported over construction sites or poorly paved roads may be quite heavy. It is not unusual for such signs to weigh hundreds of pounds. There is thus a need to provide a sign orientation system capable of supporting high weight. There is also a need for a system capable of shifting orientation of a high weight sign without applying a force beyond an operator's capability.

In some situations, an operator may not be able to safely determine the appropriate direction to orient a sign because of traffic or other hazards. There is thus a need to provide a sign orientation system that supports sign orientation without exposing an operator to such hazards.

SUMMARY

In embodiments, the invention includes a system and an apparatus for displaying traffic information.

An embodiment of the system includes a sign, a stator, and a rotor. The sign has a display surface for displaying information and is mounted to a vehicle. The stator has a central axis, and the rotor may be coupled to the sign and rotatably coupled to the stator. The rotor may be configured to rotate about the central axis so that rotation of the rotor with respect to the stator may align the display surface in a selected orientation.

Embodiments may also include a bearing surface disposed between the rotor and the stator.

In some embodiments, the stator may have a first disk disposed about the central axis and the rotor may have a second disk disposed about the central axis. The rotor and stator may include locking features, with the stator locking feature and the rotor locking feature aligning when the message surface is aligned in the selected orientation.

The system may also include a pin, and the locking feature may include an opening. The pin fits through the opening to lock the rotor with respect to the stator.

One or both of the stator or rotor locking features may include multiple openings radially disposed about the part, so that the rotor rotation, and hence the sign orientation, may be locked in different orientations.

In some embodiments, the system may also include a motor, a camera, and a controller. The motor may be coupled to the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator. The camera may have an optical axis and be configured to produce a series of images perpendicular to the optical axis. The controller may be operatively coupled to the motor and to the camera. In embodiments, the motor may be coupled to the rotor directly or through a pulley, a gear, a band, a friction wheel, a shaft, a chain, or a mechanical linkage.

In some embodiments, the controller may display an image of the series of images on a display so that an operator may remotely position the sign or may confirm the sign position with respect to a road or to traffic. In other embodiments, the controller may be configured to automatically position the sign. The controller may be configured to extract a feature from one or more of images, to determine an operative orientation based on the feature, and to rotate the rotor to the operative orientation. The feature may include a direction of approaching traffic.

The controller may be configured to determine the feature by comparison of a first image selected from the series of images and a second image selected from the series of images. In embodiments, the first image may include a traffic vehicle in a first position and the second image may include the traffic vehicle in a second position. In other embodiments, the controller may be configured to determine the feature by identification of a road component.

In embodiments, the invention includes a system for displaying traffic information having a vehicle, a sign, and an assisted view axis. The vehicle has a travel direction, and the sign may be capable of displaying an electronically changeable message. The sign may be mounted to the vehicle and may have a display surface. The assisted view axis may be disposed between the vehicle and the sign. The assisted view axis may be configured to dispose the display surface in one of a plurality of directions with respect to the travel direction.

The assisted view axis may include a stator disk having a central axis and a rotor disk coupled to the sign and rotatably coupled to the stator disk.

The assisted view axis may further include a bearing surface, a locking element, and a hub. The bearing surface may be between the rotor disk and the stator disk. The locking element may be configured to lock rotation of the rotor disk, and the hub may be configured to align the rotor disk to the stator disk.

Some embodiments may further include a camera, a motor, and a controller. The motor may be mechanically coupled to the rotor, and the controller may be operatively coupled to the camera and to the rotor. The camera may be configured to deliver an image to the controller. The controller may be configured to extract a target orientation from the image. The controller may also be configured to drive the motor to align the display surface in the target orientation. The controller may be configured to extract the target orientation by processing a representation of a traffic vehicle or of a road component from the image.

In other embodiments, the invention includes a system for orienting an electronic sign disposed on a vehicle. The system may include a stator, a rotor, a camera, a motor, and a controller. The stator may be configured to attach to a vehicle and may have a central axis. The rotor may be configured to attach to an electronic sign. The rotor may be rotatably coupled to the stator and may be configured to rotate about the central axis. The camera may be disposed on the rotor or on another structure that attaches to the rotor such as on the sign. Alternatively, the camera may be disposed on a surface that does not move with the rotor, provided that the camera filed of view includes at least a portion of the roadway to which the message is to be exposed. The motor may be coupled to the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor. The controller may be operatively coupled to the camera and to the motor. The controller may be configured to receive an image from the camera, to extract a target orientation from the image, and to drive the motor to align the rotor in the target orientation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a first perspective view of a prior art sign board mounted to a vehicle (here, a trailer).

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the system of the invention including the apparatus of the invention with the sign board positioned at a first angle.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows a second perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 with the sign board removed to show detail.

FIG. 6 shows a third perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 2 with the sign board positioned at a second angle.

FIG. 7 shows a top view the of an embodiment of the assisted view axis of the system of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 shows an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 shows a first perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 shows a second perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 shows a block diagram of active components of another embodiment.

FIG. 13 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a rotor with motor drive.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a prior art portable sign mounted to a vehicle and used to display a signal or message. Such signs are frequently used in traffic control operations. The prior art vehicle sign system 1 includes a vehicle 10 and a sign 20.

As illustrated vehicle 10 includes a trailer, but trucks, cars or other vehicles may alternatively be used. Vehicle 10 has travel direction 14, here illustrated by a dashed arrow. Vehicle 10 includes features to attach sign 20. In the illustrated embodiment, sign 20 is attached to vehicle 10 through support 12. Support 12 may be formed in any of a variety of shapes. In the illustrated embodiment, support 12 is a bar connected to vehicle 10 with a gap to permit easy connection. Attachment may be by conventional fasteners such as screws, clamps, or bolts. Attachment may be direct between sign 20 and support 12 or may be indirect with fold rack 26 (if present) connected to both sign 20 and to support 12.

Sign 20 is usually a rectangular board with a message surface 22 capable of displaying a message 24. Message 24 may be limited to one or more arrows, which may be animated to catch the attention of drivers viewing sign 20. Alternatively, sign 20 may be a general-purpose indicator displaying a graphical, animated, or text message 24 on message surface 22.

Sign 20 may fold downward about paired pivots 28 for transport. Fold rack 26 may be present to support sign 20 when folded downward for transport.

In use, sign 20 is disposed in a fixed viewing direction 2. Message surface 22 is usually visible from the rear of vehicle 10 where the front of vehicle 10 is defined by travel direction 14. In some cases, sign 20 is intended to be viewed from the front of vehicle 10.

FIGS. 2-4 and 6 show different views of an embodiment of the system 100 of the invention. Vehicle 10 and sign 20 are as described for the prior art embodiment. However, assisted view axis 200 is interposed between vehicle 10 and sign 20. The purpose of assisted view axis 200 is to allow for selectable orientation of sign 20 by rotation about axis 202.

Central axis 202 is oriented vertically to permit rotation of sign 20 to a range of viewing directions. As illustrated in FIG. 2, first viewing direction 102 is the same as that of the prior art system of FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the orientation of sign 20 may be adjusted to a second viewing direction 104. This is accomplished through rotation of the assisted view axis 200 to which sign 20 is attached. The two viewing directions 102 and 104 are merely illustrative of many possible viewing directions afforded by system 100.

FIG. 5 shows vehicle 10 with assisted view axis 200 mounted and sign 20 removed to show details. FIGS. 7-11 illustrate details of the assisted view axis 200 alone. In embodiments, assisted view axis 200 may include rotor 210, stator 220, and slip ring 230.

Rotor 210 is a generally disk-shaped part having a circular periphery connected via ribs 212 to rotor hub 214. Central axis 202 runs vertically through the center of rotor hub 214. Rotor 210 may also include vertical ribs 216 for additional strength. Rotor 210 may include apertures between ribs 212 to reduce weight. Rotor 210 may be fabricated of a high strength material such as steel, other metal, or fiberglass. The relatively large outside diameter of rotor 210 reduces the force required to reorient sign 20 when an operator grips rotor 210 near the perimeter of rotor 210. An operator may also easily grip rotor 210 on one of vertical ribs 216.

Rotor 210 is connected via fasteners, standoffs, clamps, or similar devices to sign 20 either directly or through connection to fold rack 20 if present. For example, rotor 210 may be bolted to fold rack 20 where the elements of the parts cross as viewed from above. Shims or standoffs (not shown) may be present to bridge any gaps between the parts.

Stator 220 is a generally disk-shaped or ring-shaped part having a circular periphery connected via fasteners to support 12. Stator 220 may also include a central portion or ribs (not shown) to align stator 220 with rotor hub 214. Alternatively, stator 220 may be aligned with rotor 210 through another part (e.g. lower hub 250 discussed below) that is also attached to support 12. In such embodiments support 12 helps to align rotor 210 to stator 220. Stator 220 may be fabricated of a high strength material such as steel, other metal, or fiberglass. Stator 220 may be attached to vehicle 10 through standoffs (not shown).

Slip ring 230 is a generally ring-shaped part disposed between rotor 210 and stator 221. Slip ring 230 may be sized to match the ring-shaped periphery of rotor 210 and stator 220. Slip ring 230 may be fixed with respect to either rotor 210 or to stator 220 using recessed fasteners. The purpose of slip ring 230 (in conjunction with stator 220) is to support the weight of rotor 210, sign 20, and any associated parts such as fold rack 26 that rotate together with sign 20 when reorienting sign 20. Slip ring 230 reduces friction during relative rotation of rotor 210 with respect to stator 220.

Slip ring 230 may be fabricated of a slippery plastic such as a self-lubricated polyacetal-based thermoplastic (such as that sold as Turcite® A by Trelleborg AB of Trelleborg, Sweden or as Delrin® AF by Ensinger Group of Nufringen, Germany). Alternatively, slip ring 230 may be replaced by a thrust bearing.

Rotor 210 and stator 220 include alignment features to allow sign 20 to be locked in a desired orientation. Many such features are possible, such as clamps, bolts, or magnets. In the illustrated embodiment, rotor 210 includes a plurality of holes spaced about the periphery of rotor 210. Similarly, stator 220 may include a plurality of holes spaced about the periphery of stator 220. A pin 224 sized to fit in the holes may be inserted through a hole on rotor 210 and an aligned hole on stator 220 once the desired orientation is reached.

In some embodiments, only a single hole is pierced in one of rotor 210 or stator 220 with a plurality of holes in the other part. The provision of multiple holes in each of the parts makes it easier to find an aligned set of holes to insert pin 224. The holes may be evenly spaced around the circular portion of the two parts. Alternatively, the two parts may have a different number of evenly spaced holes to increase the number of lockable positions.

Slip ring 230 is also pierced by holes that match the position of holes on the part (either stator 220 or rotor 210) to which slip ring 230 is fastened.

Assisted view axis 200 may also include any of upper hub 240, lower hub 250 and support fasteners 260, and locking features to be defined in more detail below.

Upper hub 240 is illustrated as a separate part from rotor 210 for ease of fabrication, but these may be formed as a single part. Similarly, lower hub 250 is illustrated as a separate part from stator 220 for ease of fabrication, but in some embodiments, these may be formed as a single part. When fabricated as separate parts, upper hub 240 may be fastened to rotor 210 and lower hub 250 may be fastened to stator 220 (or to vehicle 10) using fasteners, adhesives, welds, or other compatible assembly processes known in the art.

Upper hub 240 and lower hub 250 each have a cylindrical region and a flange. The flange facilitates attachment or the parts to mating parts. The flanges may incorporate holes, studs, or other fastening elements. Support fasteners 260 (illustrated as U-bolts) fasten lower hub 250 to support 12.

Upper hub 240 engages with lower hub 250 so that the two parts are capable of rotation with respect to one another about central axis 202, which runs through the centerline of both parts. The cylindrical regions mate to one another in a nesting relationship. The parts may include a bearing such as a ball bearing, a sleeve bearing, or a thrust bearing so that the parts freely rotate about central axis 202.

In other embodiments, an automated system 300 includes a camera 310, a motor 320, a controller 360, and a power supply. The power supply may include batteries or may be connected to a vehicle power source. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of such an embodiment including optional switch 255 and display 350. In FIG. 12, operative electrical connections are indicated by light solid lines. Operative lines that may be either hardwired or wireless (such as Bluetooth, WiFi, cellular, Near Field, infrared, or other wireless connection) are shown as light dashed lines. Mechanical couplings are shown as heavy dashed lines. The optical axis 312 of camera 310 is shown by spaced parallel lines.

Camera 310 is a conventional video camera with optical axis 312 pointing outward from the direction of message surface 22 at scene 314. Camera 310 may be mounted to sign 20 or to rotor 210 or to any part that rotates with rotor 210 so that optical axis 312 point outward from message surface 22.

Motor 320 is an electrical motor that is mechanically coupled to rotor 210 and electrically coupled to controller 360 through an appropriate power driver known in the art. The purpose of motor 320 is to rotate rotor 210 and hence sign 20 automatically. This advantageously allows remote operation of system 100 without exposure of an operator to traffic hazards. Motor 320 may be mechanically coupled to rotor 210 through any of a variety of mechanisms known in the art such as a pulley and belt, a cog and chain, gears, a friction wheel, a band drive, one or more linkages, or a driveshaft. In some embodiments (as illustrated in FIG. 13) motor 320 includes a worm 324 and rotor 210 includes a worm gear 322. Worm 324 engages worm gear 322 so that rotation of motor 310 drives rotation of rotor 210. This advantageously allows high torque drive from a relatively low power motor 320.

Controller 360 may be any of a variety of programmable devices such as a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a gate array, or similar device known in the art. In embodiments, controller 360 may be a single-chip microcontroller such as the PIC 18F25K83 manufactured by Microchip Technology Inc. of Chandler, Ariz. or a board-level microcontroller such as a Raspberry Pi 4 single board computer developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation of the United Kingdom, or the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 developed by U-BLOX of Thalwil, Switzerland. In embodiments performing image feature extraction as discussed below, controller 360 may be a more capable multiprocessor computer such as a variant of an ARM-64 designed by Arm Holdings, Ltd of Cambridge, UK.

Controller 360 is programmed to execute a sequence of steps that operate system 300. The programming of electronic devices such as controller 360 is well known in the art. Controller 360 may also include interface electronics for communicating (either directly or wirelessly) with other devices, such as a remote cellular phone. In some embodiments, rotor 210 may also include a feedback element such as a rotary encoder (not shown) electrically coupled to controller 360 to indicate sign orientation.

The system may also include a display 350, which may be located in view of an operator, such as within the cab of a truck. Alternatively, display 350 may be the screen of a personal device, such as a mobile phone, where the phone is wirelessly coupled to the controller 360. The purpose of display 350 is to present images from camera 310 to facilitate orientation of sign 20. Such embodiments may also include a switch 355 electrically connected to controller 360.

In such embodiments, controller 360 may be programmed to display images from camera 310 on display 350. Controller 360 may be further programmed to drive motor 320 when switch 255 is activated.

Camera 310 may have optical axis 312 pointing outward from message surface 22 toward scene 314. Camera 310 in such embodiments delivers representations of images viewed along this optical axis. When the images from camera 310 include targeted viewers (e.g. drivers on a road or the road itself) then the message surface should also be visible to such targeted viewers—sign 20 is thus appropriately oriented.

In use, an operator views the images from camera 310 on display 350. Operator activates switch 355 so that controller 360 drives motor 320 to rotate sign 20. Operator releases switch 310 when display 350 shows the targeted view indicating sign 20 is correctly oriented.

In other embodiments, the invention includes a system that automatically aligns sign 20 in a desired orientation. Such embodiments include camera 310 electrically linked to controller 360 with optical axis pointing outward from message surface 22. Motor 320 is mechanically linked to rotor 210 and electrically linked to controller 360. Controller 360 drives motor 320 to position sign 20. Controller 360 is programmed to evaluate images from camera 310 to extract features from the images to determine when sign 20 is oriented toward targeted viewers.

Controller 360 may identify features such as road markings (e.g. lane stripes) to determine the direction of oncoming traffic (the targeted viewers). Image feature extraction of this type is well known in the art. Alternatively, or in addition, controller 360 may be programmed to extract features from a collection of images. For example, controller 360 may be programed to compare images closely spaced in time to identify objects such as vehicles that move between the times of the images. Controller 360 may then extract from the compared images the direction of travel of traffic. Once this direction is determined, controller 360 may be programmed to drive motor 320 to orient sign 20 toward the oncoming traffic. Controller 360 may be programmed to iterate the feature extraction process using different image sets as different orientations.

The embodiments described herein are referred in the specification as “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc. These references indicate that the embodiment(s) described can include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment does not necessarily include every described feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, such feature, structure, or characteristic may also be used in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

Further, where specific examples are given, the skilled practitioner may understand the particular examples as providing particular benefits such that the invention as illustratively disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein or within that particular example.

This disclosure may mention certain other documents incorporated by reference. Where such documents conflict with the express disclosure of this document, this document shall control.

It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations of the described embodiment are possible in the light of the above teachings without departing from the principles and concepts of the disclosure as set forth in the claims.

Although the present disclosure describes certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure is purely illustrative and is not to be interpreted as limiting. Consequently, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, various alterations, modifications, and/or alternative applications of the disclosure will, no doubt, be suggested to those skilled in the art after having read the preceding disclosure. Accordingly, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted as encompassing all alterations, modifications, or alternative applications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure. 

I claim:
 1. A system for displaying traffic information, the system comprising: a sign having a display surface for displaying information, the sign mounted to a vehicle; a stator having a central axis; and a rotor coupled to the sign and rotatably coupled to the stator, the rotor configured to rotate about the central axis, wherein rotation of the rotor with respect to the stator is configured to align the display surface in a selected orientation.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a bearing surface disposed between the rotor and the stator.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the stator comprises a first disk disposed about the central axis and wherein the rotor comprises a second disk disposed about the central axis.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes a first locking feature, wherein the stator includes a second locking feature, and wherein the first locking feature aligns with the second locking feature when the message surface is aligned in the selected orientation.
 5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a pin, wherein the first locking feature includes an opening, and wherein the pin fits through the opening to lock the rotor with respect to the stator.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second locking feature comprises one of a plurality of openings radially disposed about the stator.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a motor coupled to the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator; a camera having an optical axis, the camera configured to produce a series of images perpendicular to the optical axis; and a controller operatively coupled to the motor and to the camera.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the motor is coupled to the rotor via a pulley, a gear, a shaft, a friction wheel, a band, or a chain.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller displays an image of the series of images on a display.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to extract a feature from one or more of images, to determine an operative orientation based on the feature, and to rotate the rotor to the operative orientation, and wherein the feature includes a direction of approaching traffic.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine the feature by comparison of a first image selected from the series of images and a second image selected from the series of images.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first image includes a traffic vehicle in a first position and the second image includes the traffic vehicle in a second position.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to determine the feature by identification of a road component.
 14. A system for displaying traffic information, the system comprising: a vehicle having a travel direction; a sign capable of displaying an electronically changeable message, the sign mounted to the vehicle and having a display surface; an assisted view axis disposed between the vehicle and the sign, wherein the assisted view axis is configured to dispose the display surface in one of a plurality of directions with respect to the travel direction.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the assisted view axis includes a stator disk having a central axis and a rotor disk coupled to the sign and rotatably coupled to the stator disk.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the assisted view axis further includes a bearing surface disposed between the rotor disk and the stator disk, a locking element configured to lock rotation of the rotor disk, and a hub configured to align the rotor disk to the stator disk.
 17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a camera, a motor mechanically coupled to the rotor, and a controller operatively coupled to the camera and to the rotor.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the camera is configured to deliver an image to the controller, and wherein the controller is configured to extract a target orientation from the image, and wherein the controller is configured to drive the motor to align the display surface in the target orientation.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to extract the target orientation by processing a representation of a traffic vehicle or of a road component from the image.
 20. A system for orienting an electronic sign disposed on a vehicle, the system comprising: a stator configured to attach to a vehicle and having a central axis; a rotor configured to attach to an electronic sign, the rotor rotatably coupled to the stator and configured to rotate about the central axis; a camera disposed on the rotor; a motor coupled to the rotor and configured to rotate the rotor; and a controller operatively coupled to the camera and to the motor, the controller configured to receive an image from the camera, to extract a target orientation from the image, and to drive the motor to align the rotor in the target orientation. 